A Realisation

It's been a while since I updated this blog, but here I am. I've been largely busy with trying to get into the GB Squad in fencing, which has been very challenging. I've been going to several competitions, trying to improve and do my best, and I've hardly been to NAF at all. After this last comp. that I've got back from, I've realised something about fencing.

Fencing isn't all about squads, or how good you are. It's about enjoying the sport, living each fight for the thrill of the moment, having a good time, and HAVING FUN. Ever since I started trying to get into the squad, none of these things were happening. I was panicking with each point, and more focused on doing well and earning points than enjoying myself. But since I realised that I get more pleasure from club fencing, that's what I'm going to do more of. You don't have to be in a squad to be told that you have potential, or that you can fence well. People around you can tell you that, and you will know that you can fence at some point. I think that after realising this, I'm going to stop trying to get into the squad, and just have a great time with my fencing. That's where the satisfaction lies.

Carry On Camping

Last week, I went away to the infamous Millfield fencing camp, and I returned yesterday, full with new ideas and activities. The week was arduous, but incredibly useful. I learnt many new warm up exercises, and games that actually use fencing technique and theory in them. Such things included stepping in time to the rhythm of a song, speeding up and slowing down accordingly, throwing a glove from behind someone, so that they have to lunge and catch it as soon as they see it, and also a dexterity exercise for the times when you feel your arm is going to fall off (which it frequently does, in a lesson). So, I may be able to use some of this newly acquired knowledge in future fencing sessions, as they really helped me to improve my fitness and fencing performance.

The Void

I've been reading the Book of Five Rings again, and I've been trying to work out what Musashi means by the Void. He says that using it, we can determine our enemies spirit, and use it to influence our own. He doesn't directly describe it, saying that it is nothingness and vice-versa. So, I've been puzzling over it, and I think that I've come across a plausible answer.

The void is nothingness. Nothingness is all around us. Take away the landscape and the air, and there is nothing at all. But the fact is that there can NEVER be nothingness, because there is always something there. Even if you drain the air out of a space, we proclaim that there is a vacuum there, still far from nothingness. But perhaps nothingness doesn't have to be the absence of physical things. It can maybe represent the potential of existence, because there is always the potential for something to exist in a space occupied by nothing. Therefore, we are surrounded by this potential; a potential that enables us to see what could occupy a space, and when it will do so. To use the void is to see past nothingness into potential. If this were to happen, you would be able to see the enemies attack before it happened, because the potential would be there before the physical action of the attack was. So, the true void, I believe, is a realisation that there is a potential to do anything, at any time, and that to become a true follower of the way, a warrior has to interpret and react accordingly and instinctively to the changing of the void.

Sportsmanship and Fencers

I think that fencing is one of those sports where sportsmanship is of vital importance. It is essential in my opinion to show respect to everyone; your opponent, the referee and even spectators. Yesterday, I met an opponent at the Suffolk Open who ignored all of these values. I was fencing him in the final, and he did not behave in the best of ways. He argued with the referee or what was basically every alternate point, even when it was as simple as a parry riposte against him, he swore that there had to be a mistake. He claimed that I had hit him in the eye, and that it effected his fencing. I should clear this up now: The hit beforehand had hit him on the shoulder. I know this because I placed the point there deliberately, and the hit registered on target. Even if it did flick upwards to the mask, it would never have landed squarely in the eye, since the point was almost level with the back of his head during my recovery. Add all of that on to the fact that he was WEARING A MASK and you can see why I was disbelieving of that (particularly when a few months ago, the same guy claimed I fleched into him, injuring his shoulder and ruining his fencing arm). He also had the nerve to shout at a woman in the audience, claiming that she had said something that had distracted him, which had meant that his attack had been parry riposted. This claim caused most of the spectators, including the referee and my opponents coach amusingly, to tell him to shut up and keep fencing.

This is probably the only thing about fencing that annoys me. You can meet some really nice people when you fence, and they see fencing as a laugh and a fun hobby. Then you see die-hard fencers who believe that mercy is for the weak and to win by any means necessary is fair play. I like to think that I am someone who enjoys fencing as a hobby, and I am friendly when club-fencing, but I also try to be friendly at competitions, and talk to the nervous ones. Yesterday for example, people were introducing themselves to me, and I made some new friends. My final opponent, however, talked to his coach, and told anybody who would listen (which wasn't that many people to be honest) his game plan, and how he would make it to the final. Some people are just annoying, and see fencing as a serious sport. It can be at times, but you have to realise that it isn't restricted to that. It can be a lot of fun as well, and that's what I enjoy about it. It's a hobby as well as a sport. So, it is sort of ironic that the thing about fencing that annoys me is the fencers themselves. Not all of them, I hastily add. Most fencers are kind and respectful of other people. There are only a select few who are not like this.

While I am writing, I would like to thank Joseph Igali for supporting me, and also congratulate him for doing extremely well consistently throughout the day. Good on you!

Return

I'm back after the GCSE's, completely worn out from revision and essay writing, but I've now got a very long, and I feel, deserved break. So, on my very first day of freedom, I return to my blog, to talk about a particular subject that I've had in mind; practice.
We often get a lot of practice in on the piste. which can prepare us for competitions. We learn how to hit, and what to expect. But its not often that we learn to hit within a 2cm squared area, or what you should do if your opponent doesn't want to fence you. This is why I believe that practice of any kind can be vital. I've tried different methods, such as stringing up a tennis ball to the ceiling and hitting that, and placing a tennis ball on one of those softball tees and lunging at that. I've lunged for light switches, tried to flick-hit a golf ball, and tried to step forwards and backwards with a one kilogram weight on my leg. Obscure training methods can actually be helpful. The person who recommended that I lunge at a tennis ball does it himself, 500 hits a day. Don't just nod and read on, think about it. 500! The first time I tried it, I got 92 hits in an hour! It goes to show that practice makes better than before. I'm still lunging at a tennis ball on a softball tee at school, which has drawn some odd stares and jeers from most people (although the nine and ten year olds are quite interested, I have to say). They may seem odd, but I think that I've improved because of these practice techniques, although I will say now, if you are going to use weights on your legs, make sure that they are lighter than 1 kilo, or you might end up like me and get a killer of a cramp. Oh, and don't lunge at the light switch when relatives are trying to revise for A-levels; you'll only make it worse for yourself. Other than that, go for it!

Changing Times

Yesterday, I was asked to preside for the U12 team competition. I agreed, and watched a variety of fencers battling it out on the piste. Refereeing is quite a good thing to do, because it helps you to understand how to preside (obviously), but it also shows you a different range of styles and techniques. Unfortunately, the U12 teams were more or less lacking in technique. It seemed to be hit hit hit all the time. However, there were a fair few who were evidently trying to make the best of it. What I find quite annoying in competitions is the fact that people with bad technique seem to win more often than those who are actually 'worthy' of a victory. It's annoying, but we've got to learn to live with it unfortunately. There was a girl there, who seemed quite unfazed by all the points going against her; she was attempting to hit with good technique, which I thought was just brilliant. The only bad side of watching all of these people fence made me realise I wanted to fence. I began to suffer from withdrawal after two hours, and I had to remind myself to stop lunging with the size three foils. I fenced at the end, so that was fine.
I'm going to be away for a good few weeks, since I've got my GCSE's coming up. Coming up very fast. So, I'm going to have to get stuck into revision, and hope that it all works out. See you soon!

Sloganise

This blog is very short. So short, that if I digress, it will not be short at all. I'm just posting a slogan that came into my head a few minutes ago:

'This is not a foil which I use, but the embodiment of potential'

It sounds a bit Shakespearean and pretentious, but I think it has the desired effect. There are some fencers who are afraid of their opponent; afraid of being hit. Some even refuse to lunge, and charge forwards, perhaps not mindlessly, but clumsily. It may be due to lack of technique, but is it also a complete avoidance of lunging, or even arm-extending. I had to explain to a beginner at school about how the target area in foil was limited to the torso. Her face fell slightly when I mentioned the word 'limited'. I then improvised a completely random method of making her feel better about the weapon. I didn't use the pretentious slogan above (Thank God, she would have thought I was mad), but I summed it up pretty well. Your target isn't limited to a particular spot on the torso. It doesn't have to be HIT THERE OR SUFFER. You can hit to the shoulder, to the side, slightly to the right, etc. You can almost say you have an infinite amount of target to hit. You don't have to poke and limit yourself to hitting there. Limit yourself to the target, and hit anywhere on it. I think that's alright, and this blog turned out to be not quite short.